The present invention relates in general to glassware manufacture. Specifically, this invention relates to apparatus and methods for measuring glassware. Even more specifically, this invention relates to non-contact means for measuring glassware at the hot end of a glassware production line.
A typical glassware manufacturing plant includes a forming machine, also known in.the trade as an individual section or IS machine. A forming machine typically includes 6-10 identical individual sections for producing finished glassware such as bottles. A gob feeder mechanism common to all of the individual sections feeds a gob of molten glass to each of the sections of the forming machine in turn. Thus, at any point in time the glassware in each section of the forming machine is in a different state of completion from the glassware in every other section of the machine. As an article of glassware manufacture issues from each of the sections, it is carried by a conveyor, past an inspection area to a lehr. At the inspection area, the glassware articles of manufacture on the conveyor are inspected for flaws. This inspection may include the measurement of a representative sample removed from the conveyor. The flaw inspection is either accomplished by the actual observation of a human being stationed at the inspection area or by a video camera inspection system such as that set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,823. Another video camera inspection system for the detection of flaws is set forth in the co-pending patent application of David W. Deane filed on Aug. 6, 1979 and bearing Ser. No. 063,927 now Pat. No. 4,380,025 entitled VIDEO INSPECTION SYSTEM.
The inspection, carried out by an observer or by a video inspection system, generally looks for flaws such as spikes or bird swings within the finished glassware. Such inspections are not intended to provide for the measurement of each piece of glassware produced to insure that its dimensions fall within a predetermined tolerance.
In order to measure the glassware issuing from an individual section machine, it has been necessary to remove a sample of glassware from its conveyor, allow it to cool, and then measure its critical dimensions by hand. This is a somewhat clumsy and inefficient procedure. Thus, it would be highly advantageous to be able to automatically and accurately measure each piece of glassware produced by a forming machine during its conveyance to a lehr.